Will is not a great eater. He doesn't like traditional kid food like mac & cheese or noodles (except for spaghetti) or even bean burritos or deli meat sandwiches. And plain cheese? Forget it.

So, what does he eat & love? The kid loves loves loves olives & begs for more than the 3-4 I allow him every night. (Could it be because I consumed olives by the jar throughout my pregnancy?) He loves turkey & oatmeal meatballs. He loves capers ("green balls" he calls them.) His favorite main dish is chicken picatta (chicken cooked with capers, fresh lemon juice, lots of seasoning/spices, & white wine.) He loves most veggies & all fruit- even pomogranate seeds. Last night, I tried salmon with him (see above picture). He was hesitant at first but once he realized that bears eat salmon, he fell in love. He has alternated all week between being a pretend "big pirate- aargh!" & a bear- "grrr!" He immediately went into full bear mode & consumed all of his portion of salmon along with half of mine! I'm just thrilled he loves it.

I had also steamed a fresh artichoke for our dinner. I love fresh, steamed, hot artichoke petals dipped in a butter sauce. YUM! Will tried 2 petals. I couldn't believe it! What 2 year old won't eat mac & cheese but will eat artichoke petals?He did inform me after 2 that "he doesn't like it, Mommy," but I'm just glad he willingly tried it - twice.

I don't know what kind of tastes he has... except for expensive! :)

Zucchini Chocolate Bread!

My mom made this recently for her cooking class/Bible study she teaches & I thought I'd share. Will LOVES this ("chocolate cake, please Mommy" is a common phrase in our house now since he experienced it in Tyler) & even my 7 year old newphew, Hayden, who hates veggies & other than fried okra hasn't eaten a green veggie in years loved it! (Of course, we never told him it's packed with zucchini!) So- it's a great way to get veggies into your kids or your spouse if he doesn't like them!
This recipe is from the Allaire Timbers Inn located in Breckenridge, CO & makes a great breakfast cake. It would also be a yummy breakfast cake to take to a family with a new baby or someone in the hospital. Or, it could be great to make ahead of time when you've got overnight company coming & want a easy (& yummy) breakfast to serve.

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 c vegetable oil
2 tsps salt
2 cups sugar
3 cups grated zucchini (approx 3 mid sized zucchini)- don't peel, just toss in your food processor because you want them finely grated
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsps baking soda
1/3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/3 cup flour
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa
optional: 1/2 cup nuts

Mix dry ingredients, including nuts if using. Mix oil, eggs, & zucchini in a small bowl & then add to dry ingredients. (This will look very dry for a little bit- don't add more oil or water- just keep stirring - there is moisture in the zucchini which will moisten the batter up after some good stirring/mixing!)
Pour into 2 greased mid sized loaf pans or 1 bundt pan. Bake for approx 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Enjoy! (And don't share the secret ingredient! :))

Random Recipes #2

Oh my goodness! These were super yummy - R raved!

I found this recipe in some magazine while I was running last week (obviously I wasn't running too fast... and do you still lose the calories when you're reading about food?!??!)

Anyway... these are Stuffed Peppers

I love stuffing bell peppers- I've done red & green ones with twice baked potatoes at Christmas time & orange & yellow & green ones for Thanksgiving stuffed with potatoes & smoked gouda cheese.

For this yummy summer recipe try the following:

1. Wash bell peppers & cut one side off of them. (You might need to barely shave off the bottom half to make it stable.)

2. Dice 1-2 roma tomatoes & green onions

3. While you are cutting veggies, cook cousous- I love the pine nut flavor but you could do any flavor (cook time is 5 min I believe)

4. In a bowl, toss couscous, roma tomatoes, several ounces of feta (yummmy) chesse, a little bit of olive oil, onions, pinch of kosher salt, pinch of black pepper (freshly ground), & fresh basil (wash & chop - I used maybe 5-7 leaves)

(I love basil & grow it all summer so that I have it readily available. It grows great all over TX & I use it almost every night in something!)

5. Stuff the peppers with the couscous mixture & then grill until cheese is melted & peppers have nice grill marks (maybe 8-12 min).

YUMMY!

I also make hummus all the time! We really love mediterranean food around our casa. Homemade hummus is better for you than store bought, lasts longer, is cheaper & is so much tastier! (A friend who travelled to Israel last year tasted it & said it is just as good as the real thing in Israel! Now that's a compliment!)

I make this about every 8-10 days & we'll eat on it all week long. It's great to have on hand for when someone drops by too - goes great with crackers, pretzels, & fresh veggies. It also makes an easy, cool side dish for a hot day - just chop some bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots, & cucumbers. I even eat it for lunch sometimes with a side of tuna. It's super healthy & loaded with protein - so get your kids hooked!

I got this recipe from my mom who got it from Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa).

1. In a food processor, chop/puree 2 cans of drained garbanzo (chickpea) beans (reserve the juice for later)

2. Add the juice of 2 large lemons - I recommend using a citrus squeezer to avoid seeds in your hummus. Also, I've used the bottled lemon juice before but fresh lemons are so much better.

3. Add a few dashes of tabasco, a few pinches of kosher salt, & about 4-5 cloves of minced garlic (I never measure when I cook - so it's about 1 big spoonful of minced garlic.)

4. Add about 1/4 c of tahini paste (a couple of spoonfulls) (this is hard to find but is generally on the pb aisle at HEB or at your local natural foods market/health food store. Albertson's does not carry it. It's kind of expensive (about $8) but a jar will last you through about 5 recipes. Plus, think of the money you are saving by not buying the pre-made kind all the time! If you can't find tahini paste- use 1-2 TBS of sesame oil. Do not mix your sesame oil with tahini paste- I tried this last week & it made it too runny.)

5. Puree all in the food processor. Hummus tastes great in this original flavor or at this point, you could add black olives and/or roasted red pepper into the food processor. I did this yesterday & the result was yummy! Get creative with your flavors!
6. Put it in a bowl to serve immediately or in tupperware for storage in your fridge. Sprinkle with paprika & if you so desire, toasted pine nuts & a sprig of rosemary (optional - for when you're going for the fancy look - in which case, don't put it in tupperware.)

Enjoy! I'm off to eat it up, myself!

Random Recipes #1

My favorite evening "cocktail/snack" that I love to eat while waiting on Reagan to get home. Of course, Will LOVES olives & if he sees me eating this, I have to share! It's a combo of black, pitted kalamata olives, feta cheese, diced tomatoes, & a sprinkling of kosher salt. I think the 9 months of feta deprivation during my pregnancy have turned me into a feta addict. Yummy!

I love to cook! My cooking has taken a big hit since a certain someone entered my life... and that's ok! I'm learning to cook more efficiently & becoming more cost-concious about what I cook!

One of the things I love about summer is the recipes- all the fresh herbs, fruits, veggies, and using the grill. I tend to stick to soups, stews, & comfort food in the winter. In the summer, I like to experiment!

So, I thought I'd throw out periodically some fun recipes. I love collecting new recipes so maybe we can start something where everyone posts a favorite recipe on your own blog & when you see one you like, print it off!

The meal above is so easy & super tasty. Reagan recently declared it one of his favorites! I believe it is a weight watchers recipe so it's even good for you too! I've adjusted the recipe to fit my tastes & what is in my pantry. Feel free to modify & experiment with it!

Goat Cheese & Herb -Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients: chicken breasts (thawed), goat cheese (or feta- I used feta when I didn't have goat cheese on hand... & I always have feta!), fresh spinach leaves, maybe 5-6 sun dried tomatoes, miracle whip or low-cal mayo, pinch of fresh chopped basil, a few green onions, chopped (if you have them on hand- I omitted them), handful of dry bread crumbs ( I like "panko")

1. Preheat oven to 425 & spray glass pan with pam

2. Combine cheese, tomatoes, basil, & onions in a bowl & stir/mash until blended. Put breadcrumbs in another small bowl

3. Cut a pocket into the side/top of each chicken breasts- about 2-3 inches long. Put some of the mixture of cheese in ht epocket & use a toothpick to close it. Brush the breast top wiht mayo/miracle whip & dip it into the bread crumbs.

4. Put the c hicken, coated-side up in the baking pan.

(If you're like me, I look for recipes I can make during nap time & then put in the oven later... if you're doing that... stop here & refrigerate the chicken.)

5. Spray the tops of the chicken lightly with nonstick spray & bake until cooked through & the crust is golden - 30 minutes approx.

6. Steam the spinach leaves & place the chicken on top of it to serve.

I served it with couscous as a side.

YUMMY! Very flavorful chicken dish! Will loved it too!